#not sure about snake habitats though

[woodelf68]

Tempted by both the pride snail and the cryptid... surprise me? 👀

I have got NO idea what I was thinking when I drew this; it's not typical at all for me. I've always tried to be as realistic as possible when drawing animals. But here you go, a snake-leopard-elephant hybrid. A sneopardphant, if you will. (Or I suppose it could be a sneetahphant, if you prefer.)

[yandere-sins]

Im loving this naga stuff sm omg and it’s got me thinking.

What if they were to leave reader for a few minutes, only for someone to find them and maybe try and take them back? Or them just talking to the reader in general

Had an idea for a scenario with Ghost! Thanks for requesting ^-^

Warnings: Yandere, Sexual Content (Attempted Non-Con), Violence (Death of minor character, Brutal Death), Monsters

»»———————— ♡ ————————««

"Thank-- Thanks!"

You barely had the breath to utter a word, but neither did your savior, coughing and panting in front of you. If it hadn't been for the fact that you two were racing through the forest mindlessly, "escaping" being the drive to keep you running, you might have expressed your thankfulness a little more. This had to do for now. Even though you two still weren't in the comfort of a town with big, sturdy walls and guards with weapons, you had gotten quite far in your mad dash through the thicket, every inch away from the hell that was the lair you had been kidnapped to, feeling like you were finally free.

"Thank you so much!" you croaked, your voice hoarse and your mouth dry despite sweating profusely. "You can't imagine," you added, swallowing hard as your throat stung. "That monster in the woods... that... snake... it captured me and held me there for some reason. I wouldn't have been able to escape without you!"

The man—a hunter or soldier, you reckoned, considering he knew the forest so well—waved his hand dismissively, stretching out his back and taking deep breaths, collecting himself. 

"Please, anyone would help when they found someone in such a dire situation as you were," he comforted you. You tried to smile through the pain aching through your whole body, the impromptu workout rattling every bone after weeks of being carried around and doing nothing.

Steadily, the man was regaining his composure, so you tried your best to keep up, not wanting to look lousy in front of your savior. He looked around, scanning the area, before pointing his finger somewhere further south and turning towards you. "There's a hut just a few minutes from here. It's getting dark, and we should stay out of sight in case we're being followed. What do you say?"

Gulping, you wished his suggestion had been more like, "The city is just a few more steps from here. Let's take shelter behind a safe stone wall full of guards and trained soldiers to protect you." Then again, you wouldn't be as ungrateful to his efforts as to suggest you two kept going until you could truly settle into the safety and protection of civilization. You didn't want to stay one more night out in the forest, but a hut sounded better than to be found wandering out and about in his habitat.

There was a lot to unpack, and you weren't sure if you'd ever get over what happened to you. Still, when your savior closed the wooden door, drew the curtains over the windows, and handed you a blanket to bundle up, you felt like the first step towards healing had been made. A fire might have given away your presence, so you wrapped the blanket tightly around you. However, it was barely enough to cover everything, your legs sticking out if you didn't pull them against your chest.

It wasn't comfy or warm, but it was the first time you truly realized you made it out. Things had been rough living with that thing. People would call your stories crazy if you talked about a strong half-man, half-snake, feeding you raw meat and occasionally fruits while keeping you coiled in his tail. They'd think you'd gone mad if you told them about the white, skull-like marks on his body and face or how he'd bury his face in the crook of your neck, jittering happily. The worst part was that he couldn't speak to you, even though you thought he tried a few times, but there were no words spoken between you two ever. You couldn't explain his intentions or thoughts to anyone, not even yourself.

For a while, you two sat in silence, breaths calming down. The man handed you some dried meat and his water flask, sharing what little he had, and you gobbled it up with your gratitude, thanking him again and again. You could feel him watching you, even through the darkness inside the hut, but you thought nothing of it. He must have been concerned for this stranger he found in a ditch, hidden away, crying and begging for help when he passed by accidentally and took them on a run through the thicket. All while they kept whining about some monster kidnapping them. It sounded crazed and suspicious even to you, but you were glad he listened to his heart and helped you despite the wild story behind your misery.

"Thank you so much," you mumbled again, unable to stop thanking him. Tears welled up in your eyes as the realization of your escape settled further, something you had started to fear wouldn't ever be possible after so many days spent with the monster. You sobbed quietly as the relief washed over you in big waves, wishing you could stop and not look so pathetic in front of a stranger. However, he put his arm around your shoulder, drawing you into his chest, and you could no longer hold back your ugly crying.

It felt good to be held again in a warm embrace, hands patting your head, your back. It was different from the claws and scales, the sensations only ever bringing you terror. Instead, you were comforted by the humanness of the kind stranger, so much better than what you had come to know from the monster. Palms rubbed soothing circles between your shoulder blades, and arms that were strong but not as firm as your captors hugged you tenderly. His touch warmed all of your back, fingers slowly dipping lower, massaging the soreness in your muscles until they ended up above your ass, making you jolt.

"Sorry," you apologized, wiping your eyes as you tried to slide away, thinking it was a mistake where his hand landed. However, the arm around your shoulder didn't budge as you tried to slip out, his other hand creeping up your leg instead, brushing aside the blanket.

"I don't mind," the stranger muttered, leaning forward. His nose brushed against your hair, and you heard him taking a deep breath, inhaling your scent that you didn't even want to know what it smelled like. Immediately, goosebumps erupted all over you, your body tensing under his touch as you turned stiff as a board.

"How about you thank me some other way since we'll be stuck here together all night? Let's take some of that tension off you, shall we?"

You could hear the disgusting grin on the man's lips and knew exactly what he was suggesting. Your eyes darted to the door, knowing where it was even in the darkness. Only a small bolt locked it from the inside, and as the stranger's hand crept higher on your thigh, fingers pressing and massaging the flesh, you were planning your way out frantically. The sound of him letting out a long, satisfied sigh was enough to finally put your plans into action while you were filled with disgust.

"Please stop!" you pleaded, pressing your hands to his chest. Still hoping to find reason within him. You cursed the monster for actively encouraging you to do as good as nothing while it had captured you, all your muscles seemingly evaporated as you couldn't even push him an inch away from you.

"Come on, don't I deserve a reward?"

"No! Not like this, please! I don't want that!"

"Don't be like that now! I helped you, didn't I?"

Panic made your blood pound in your mind, pumping you full of adrenaline that you thought had all been emptied out while you ran from your captor. You hadn't realized the man's thoughts, disgusting, vile, and opportunistic, no different from the monster you were with before. But if you had to choose, you chose neither.

Luck was in your favor, and as the man tried to topple you over, the barely helpful blanket gave you a chance to slide out from under him, your nails scratching over the floor as you got to your feet, dashing towards the door. He tried to get up after you, though he wasn't as quick and found less hold on the ground, so you had time to find and unbolt the lock with shaky hands; your breath uneven as you tore open the door and ran into the dark night.

The small clearing before the hut was eerily quiet, but with your blood rushing in your ears, you didn't notice the absence of sounds. Unfortunately, that was also where you ran out of luck, your foot getting stuck on a root, tripping you over badly.

"Come back here, you idiot!" the stranger whisper-yelled after you. On one hand, he had a point: neither of you should be out at this hour, causing a ruckus. But you were way past reason as you knew that going back there would mean he'd do something to you, one way or another. You had escaped one monster, but your fellow human was no better than one. Different, yet just as harmful.

"It was just a joke! Come back here right now! You're getting us--"

His voice was cut off, and you didn't hear his steps behind you anymore, confusion forcing you to look back over your shoulder as you stumbled to your feet. Clouds seemed to break open at the exact moment that you looked at him, letting the moonlight through as you found your footing in a daze, furrowing your brows as you noticed the stranger not staring at you.

His mouth hung open, head tilted back, his eyes wide and filled with unimaginable terror. You were appalled yet intrigued by what he saw when your body crashed into a wall, the unmistakable feeling of scales rubbing over your skin. There was nowhere to run as the elongated body you knew too well started to wrap and tighten around you, a large hand sinking to your back, its palm covering it protectively, keeping you pressed against the monster you initially ran from, his black scales enveloping you in darkness.

"It's- It's real," the man mumbled, his voice turning into yelling as he continued in a ramble, "It's real! It's actually real!"

All you could do was shiver as you heard the man laugh manically behind you. As if he hadn't believed you until he saw the monster you had described. You didn't know what was better: running away alone, staying with the beast, or being with the stranger. Every one of these options made your gut churn. How did he even find you? How could he catch up so quickly despite you two running all day? When you ran out of the hut, you hadn't even seen a shadow, much less a body, so where had the monster come from? 

The creature leaned down, his humanoid upper body hovering over you, palm pressing you against him a little more. And in what you could only describe as monstrous comfort, you felt a rumble go through him, soft and even, his thumb brushing over your back. It was different from the comforting touch of the stranger, but no less ill-willed and a lure into more danger. Even when the monster tried to seem less like the bad guy, you knew it was far from the truth. The trust he attempted to pull out from your subconscious as he protected you, was misplaced and unwarranted. His hands were cold, his body abnormally. Like a ghost, sending shivers down your spine and spooking you to your very core. 

Behind its purr and comfort, he was still a monster.

You gasped and flinched—hard—when you heard his tail slam into the ground, the maniacal laughter dying instantly and being replaced by the cracking of bones and splashing of flesh. You didn't dare to look back, couldn't stomach a glance at the dead body smashed into pulp behind you.

Even when the monster picked you up, your arms wrapping around his thick neck instinctively as you had so many times before, your mind ordered you to be compliant, but you couldn't stop shivering. You didn't want to submit to the monster, nor did you want to end up smashed and dead as well. Just like before, you cried into the shoulder of your savior pitifully as he carried you back into the dark forest, clawing onto you and not giving you the same lucky chance to slide out of his grasp.

He carried you for a long time at a leisure place, ducking under branches and brushing away thorny bushes, and only then did you realize how far you had come—how close you were to escaping the creature. The despair tore your sanity into pieces. He had no hurry while carrying you back, but when he sunk underground, the moonlight fading from your sight, you knew it was hopeless.

The monster laid you down into soft furs, the darkness surrounding you a familiar threat, forcing you to experience every touch and every sound much more intense than before. It had never spoken to you in all the time you two were together, but it didn't let you forget it was there. His face rubbed against yours, tongue lapping at the pulse in your throat, and he purred and hummed, his tail coiling around your leg, scales scrapping over your skin.

He rested his face against your throat, taking a deep, audible breath, and you thought back to the man who had tried to save you, doing the same. Monsters, you thought. Monsters, all of them.

"M-- Mhm--" you suddenly heard, feeling the vibration in the creature's chest, and you held your breath, the sound almost familiar, like a voice.

"Mat-- Ma-tsss--" Slowly, the pronunciation got clearer, strained and uncanny as it was, followed by a hissing sound. You couldn't help the goosebumps on your skin, the scales tightening around you as they felt the change, imprisoning your limbs while the monster kept trying to speak in an unfamiliar tongue.

You saw the glint of his eyes hovering above you, something dripping down onto your cheek. You had no way of knowing what it was, but by the sounds of straining, you guessed it was drool as the monster tensed and flexed his jaw for more mobility. You could only stare in wonder and fear alike.

"Wha-- What?" you uttered, confused and agitated by the whole situation, frightened and unsure what to make of it.

"Mi-- Mine," it finally stammered out, and time seemed to halt as you stared, bewildered. It had never said a coherent word to you, much less did you think it understood your talking. But as the darkness and silence carried one, he repeated it, and you felt like, finally, everything was beginning to make sense.

"Mate. Mine."

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

Snakes of Africa: Ball Pythons

This is the first of a series on African snake species, where I go through how they live in the wild and attempt to demystify some aspects of care and myths surrounding African snakes.

We all know the myths about ball pythons. They're from "a narrow strip in Africa," they don't need to climb, they don't need really high humidity...let's challenge some of those ideas!

If you don't know just how big Africa is, it's easy to underestimate how big the ball python's range is, too. I think it's easier to understand if you look at it on a global map:

That's a big area! Wild ball python habitats range from grasslands to forests, cutting through arid savannahs and even into rainforests.

Because the climate across the ball python's range is so variable, they are best understood as habitat generalists - they have perimeters they prefer, and they can find ways to adapt in different environments.

A large portion of the ball python's range is arid, and that leads to one famous fact about them: ball pythons love termite mounds, because they provide them with a nice and very humid area to nap. Even among people who know wild ball pythons love termite mounds, that's often used as reason to justify keeping them in too-small enclosures. After all, termite mounds don't sound like they're very big...

But they are.

Termite mounds are one of the reasons ball pythons are such good climbers.

Despite their arid habitat, wild ball pythons (aside from seeking out termite mounds) will also seek out wet areas, such as streams and lakebeds. In captivity, humidity isn't something you should skimp on for a ball python. At least 60% humidity is essential, and closer to 70% is ideal, and a humidity box allows your snake to have an area that's close to 100% humidity at all times. Humidity boxes also allow for a range of humidity conditions, like your snake would experience in the wild!

An extremely common myth about ball pythons is that they don't climb and won't take advantage of enrichment. This couldn't be further from the truth! In the wild, ball pythons are excellent climbers and are known to even hunt in trees. Multiple studies surveying wild ball pythons have found nearly half of their subjects in trees. These are not solely terrestrial snakes.

Another stereotype about ball pythons is that they're "pet rocks." If you give them enrichment and look at their wild behavior, this couldn't be further from the truth! Wild ball pythons are observed as being very active snakes who will actively hunt and seek out food rather than relying on strict ambush predation strategies. That's one reason it's best to feed your pet ball python when you see them out and "hunting!"

Of course, wild snakes will be more active than pet snakes simply for the sake of survival, but their activity level in the wild is indicative of what it should be more like in captivity. Some inviduals are a bit lazy, sure, but by and large most ball pythons will take advantage of every inch of space you give them. Climbing branches, tunnels, and new things to check out are a must!

Because wild ball pythons are habitat generalists, that also clues us into what enrichment they most enjoy. In the wild, along with climbing (which they love!), ball pythons are also known to swim (though they mostly only due this when necessary) and dig burrows. In captivity, many pet ball pythons enjoy an occasional soak, so it's good to provide a big enough water dish for them to curl up in, and some individuals enjoy digging burrows. If you provide an extra few inches of substrate for your snake to dig in, you might be surprised by how much they enjoy it!

Now, let's talk about food! In the wild, ball pythons eat a wide variety of rodents and a lot of birds. In fact, their semi-arboreal habits mean they even eat a lot of bats when they can catch them! Unfortunately, one of the tricky things about their diet is that their favorite foods in the wild include shrews, jerboas, African soft-furs, rufous-nosed rats, and other rodents that are just honestly impossible to source for your pet ball python. In captivity, a diet of rats is appropriate, and unfortunately it can be hard to provide variety to many ball pythons simply because a lot of them just prefer more hard-to-find rodents and will resist switching back to rats. For good, non-picky eaters, though, other rodents and chicks make excellent treats.

Ball pythons have a reptutation as very picky, finicky eaters, but honestly it's my experience that this effect is much, much lesser when their husbandry is consistently appropriate. Making sure to provide adequate humidity seems especially important in ensuring your ball python is a good eater! Additionally, ball pythons tend to like it a bit hotter - 90 F (32 C) is a good hot-side temperature for most ball pythons.

If there's anything to take away from this brief look into wild ball pythons, it's this: these snakes will thrive best if given the opportunity to engage in more natural behaviors. Climbing, digging, and exploring are essential for any ball python!

Ball pythons are so much more than just "pet rocks." If you provide them with space and enrichment, you'll be delighted by what fun, active, curious, and engaging pets they are!

(This message is approved by my sweet girl Miriam.)

[perpetualexistence]

if noah was actually written as the schemer, how do you think it would have gone exactly? love your writings btw

Thank you so much! And oh, anon. Anon you've unlocked character analysis mode. I hope you're ready for a bunch of paragraphs, because that's what you're getting.

First of all, as much as I love writing a Noah who can scheme on par with Alejandro or Heather, he's a different kind of schemer than them. Noah’s a lazy character at heart, particularly season 1 Noah. This is true whether or not you believe the theory that he sabotaged himself to get out of the game early. He’s a child who was born naturally smart. He hacked his way into moderating a forum at age 5 because he truly believed he could do a better job at it. He's going to believe in working smarter rather than harder.

Thus, his scheming reflects this. If Heather is a snake, and Alejandro is an eel, then Noah is a vulture. (Specifically a white-rumped vulture since its habitat as India. This isn't actually important to the narrative. But it's important to me to have animals that share the same roots as the characters they represent.) The bird has a reputation for being evil, but isn’t really. Noah’s more opportunistic than anything. He’s the type to let other people do all the hard work before swooping in for the kill.

His plan going into Island is to latch onto the strongest competitor and ride their coat tails. He'll stay in the middle of the pack for as long as possible. Once that's no longer an option, he'll commit to winning challenges to gain immunity.

Cue Heather. He can immediately recognize that she's one to take charge and sabotage. Which is perfect for him. He presents himself as an option for being her spy for the boys once he realizes she's looking for alliances (because I do rather like this direction that canon could have taken if they had committed to him being the schemer). He lets Heather take the lead, though does offer valuable suggestions based on his observations on the other contestants.

He also commits to getting close with Lindsay. He needs her to be more loyal to him than she is to Heather. He does this by indulging in her attempts to have them all be best alliance buddies. Babes, as she calls them. Noah tries arguing that there shouldn't be an 'e' in there, and also he's not a 'babe'. Heather and her, sure. But definitely not him. Lindsay refuses to listen to this logic because he's a part of the alliance, so he's a babe, and they can just give him a makeover if he's hung up on it!

Noah and Lindsay do end up becoming legitimate friends. The potential friendship of bimbo with a heart of gold and cold little cynic is just too much for me not to have them be friends. Schemer Noah still has a heart. And if he can have a friend and a shot at the prize money, then he'll take both. Besides, it's not like he's doing her any harm in trying to keep her completely from Heather's clutches.

All the while, he's making plans for eventually betraying Heather. He establishes early on that he has a 'journal' that's clearly a diary. It doesn't have anything in it, but no one else knows that. After a few episodes, he'll complain about it going missing. Not too long after, he'll be completely quiet about the matter.

See, Noah's patient. Once he's ready to drop Heather, he'll absolutely reveal the alliance. And he'll reveal that the only reason he was a part of it was because Heather stole his journal and threatened to read it to everyone just like she'd done to Gwen. It would immediately gain him sympathy points and paint a huge target on Heather's back that he'd coast by stress-free. And who are they going to believe? The girl who's been tormenting everyone from the beginning? Or the guy who hasn't been doing much?

Part of me wants to say he'd reveal this grand plan during/after Lindsay's elimination when it is suddenly very clear the alliance is over. Either way, his plan has worked, and now he can just coast on his sympathy until he's in the final three.

He still doesn't win the season. This is due to a combination of factors, centered around one thing: his overconfidence in his intelligence. He can make a plan, and he can execute it flawlessly. But he doesn't do so well at improvising, or thinking of what comes after.

He assumed that tossing Heather aside would see her focus her effort on winning and trying not to get eliminated. He underestimated how vindictive she would be, to the point of risking her own elimination to make sure Noah doesn't win, either. He also neglected to play the social game thanks to spending most of his time spying. Sure, he has their sympathy for being used by Heather. But most of them barely know him, and they'd rather protects their own friends than go out of their way to not eliminate Noah.

I don't know when exactly he'd be eliminated. It could be either before or after Heather, though I don't see him making it to the final three. I think final three is the farthest I'd be willing to put him, because there's no way he's not quitting on the dares before Owen or Gwen.

At the playa de losers, he has a bit of an existential crisis because this is the first time his intelligence hasn't just given something to him. Lindsay helps him through it in her own Lindsay way by serving as a reminder that she isn't smart, but she's still kicking! Plus, she was still able to tell Heather off, to which he would admit he was fairly impressed with the insults she threw down. He had no idea she had it in her.

He still manages to make friends with Izzy and Eva. This mainly happens during the special when all of a sudden there's a million on the line. He throws his lot in with two of the physically strongest competitors (who don't currently hate his guts), and accidentally makes more friends along the way. (I can never abandon Team E-scope).

When World Tour hits, he knows he has to force himself to be a more active participant. He knows he can't win the physical game, so he'll just have to, ugh, put effort into the social game. He still needs someone else to latch onto to help him with that, so he settles for Owen. He tells Owen that he's trying to be more 'friendly', and Owen's more than happy to take him under his wing! He's never really done that before! It'll be fun for both of them, he promises! (Nowen to some extent is also a constant in any of my ideas).

Meanwhile he also has to keep tabs on Alejandro. He sees the guy going after Team Victory one by one, but doesn't say anything because it's not his problem. ...Until he remembers that Lindsay is in Team Victory. So now he's got to scheme a way to get Alejandro to steer his attention away from Lindsay while also making sure Alejandro doesn't figure out who he's trying to protect.

It'll probably eventually lead to him and Heather teaming up against Alejandro as an 'enemy of my enemy' pact. Except Alejandro sees this and begins to tempt Noah to join his side as well. Everyone in the trio knows that the others are trying to take advantage of them. It's very much a Mexican standoff.

Aaaaand that's all I've got! I know Season 3 wasn't as detailed as Season 1 was, but I'm getting tired as I'm writing this reply due to the time I'm writing it. Also, the ideas have straight up run out for now, so time will tell what happens.

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it, anon!

[misc-obeyme]

Request:

Could you bullet-style head cannons about Mc having a snake as a pet? Or just any scary/unusual animal if you don’t want to zero in on just snakes.

Have a nice day/afternoon/night!

Hi there, anon!

Okay assuming we're in the OG timeline lol and MC has their snake in the House of Lamentation, here are the brothers' reactions!

Thanks for the request!

the brothers react to GN!MC's pet snake

Warnings: Um, well, there's the snake? But otherwise none lol.

Lucifer

Not another one. He's been through this with the first Henry. Lucifer doesn't dislike snakes or anything, but he wants to be sure this one won't get enormous in size. If you're able to reassure him that this is just a normal snake that won't grow into a giant, then he's going to be fine with it.

Might think it's a little weird. Aren't snakes dangerous for humans? You might have to explain why you can keep this particular snake as a pet and that he doesn't need to worry about your safety.

He's going to be very strict about snake habitat maintenance. Consider this one of your regular chores, MC. Don't think he's going to let you keep a snake in the House of Lamentation without making sure you keep the tank clean.

Has no fear of snakes, though, so if it escapes its tank or something you can count on him. There's no way he's going to let it slither around the house for very long. Finds it almost immediately and returns it to you. Scolds you to be more careful and make sure the snake is always secure.

Mammon

He's not afraid of snakes! No, really! He's not! He probably isn't too scared of them, but they do make him a little nervous. Especially if he thinks that you're in any danger. Asks you a lot of questions about whether your snake has venom and if it's really okay for you to be holding it.

If you clearly care about the snake, Mammon will kinda end up caring about it, too. He gets comfortable with the snake, holding it and feeding it. Acts like it's no big deal. Of course he doesn't love MC's snake! He's just ready to help take care of it, that's all!

He might also have to be reassured that the snake will not get huge, but as long as it stays a normal snake size, he's gonna be cool with it. He actually thinks you look really cool with it. He knows that snakes are normally considered dangerous and scary, but the way you let it slither around your neck is pretty badass.

You can be sure he's going to buy your snake things, though. Do they make collars for snakes? Probably not, but he would get one made if you wanted it! He's also gonna buy you snake themed things. Expect a lot of snake shaped jewelry. He probably really likes those snake shaped rings that take up half your finger.

Leviathan

MC! You have a pet snake?! Oh boy, you've made his whole life complete. As if Levi didn't already love you enough, this is just going to send him over the moon. He's so obsessed with your snake, he wants to know all about it. Tell him how you got it, what its name is, what kind of snake it is, what does it eat, etc.

He wants to hang out with you and your snake all the time. Absolutely happy to help you take care of it, whether that's cleaning the tank or feeding it. Probably knows a lot about the best way to care for snakes. Might even have some of Henry 1.0's old things if you need or want them.

Really ends up bonding with your snake. You might start feeling like the snake likes Levi more than it likes you. But Levi will tell you this is not the case. He and the snake both love you very much. Might get the courage to tell you that to your face just to reassure you.

Gets a little nostalgic for the days when he had his own pet snake. Might reminisce about it to you. Just don't let him take the snake with him to the labyrinth under the castle to visit Henry 1.0. That will likely end in a disaster you will need to rescue them from.

Satan

He might have been worried about your safety except that he likely knows all about the type of snake you have as a pet. He does think it's a little weird. Wouldn't you rather have a soft sweet cat as a pet? Though there is a ban on cats in the House of Lamentation, so maybe it's better you have a snake.

Obviously he gives you books that are about the type of snake you have as a pet. Don't worry, he already read them all. He’ll be happy to discuss everything in them with you once you’ve read them.

Trusts that you’re going to maintain your snake’s diet and habitat, but has ideas for how to make them better. Likely has done some research into best snake keeping practices. Just wants to help you with something that you clearly care about.

Tries to befriend the snake. Likely does a decent job, but has to learn that it doesn’t act like a cat would. But Satan is good at figuring things out and he always listens to you when you tell him what to do. The snake becomes attached and now he’s thrilled. Look, MC! Your snake came over and wrapped itself around him!

Asmodeus

He has the best idea ever: snake themed fashion show. Don’t worry, MC! He’s not going to make you wear snakeskin boots or anything like that! He’s thinking about snake motifs and using the snake itself as an accessory. He’s going to dress you up, drape the snake across your shoulders, and take a ton of pictures.

If your snake is cool with it and it’s okay with you, Asmo will design little snake outfits for it. Mostly consists of adorable little hats. You guys take pictures and post them on Devilgram. Your snake becomes a famous internet pet celebrity.

Not at all afraid of your snake. As long as it stays a normal size and he doesn’t have to charm it into submission, he thinks it’s cute. Look at that adorable little tongue! Those shiny scales!

Gives you gifts for your snake - he has ideas for making your snake’s tank look amazing. Also tends to buy you cute snake themed things when he find them. If he find something that has both a snake and a scorpion, he will get it for you immediately.

Beelzebub

Make sure he understands that this is a snake and not a slithering sausage. Show him how to identify the difference and he will make sure he doesn’t accidentally eat your pet. He might think about how best to cook it still, but will keep it to himself so as not to upset you.

Actually quite good with the snake. He’s not afraid of it at all but it does remind him of various foods. So whenever he spends too much time with it, he has to go find something to eat like noodles.

Enjoys watching the snake eat - look at how big its mouth gets, MC! He kinda wishes he could unhinge his jaw like that. Think about how much more he could eat if he had that ability. Might even try to find a way to make it possible. There has to be some kind of spell for that, right?

Gets a little protective of your snake. You love it so he also loves it. Doesn’t want anyone to step on it by accident. Content to let the snake hang out on his shoulder. That way nobody will step on it and he’s less likely to eat it, too.

Belphegor

Makes fun of you for having a weird pet. What kinda human wants a pet snake? Makes fun of you for having a pet so Levi-themed. Are you gonna get a pet sea serpent next, MC? It's all lighthearted, of course, but he can't pass up the opportunity.

Doesn’t care that it could be dangerous. Thinks you must be okay with it so why should he be concerned? You clearly love your snake and that’s pretty cute so he’s cool with it.

Turns out the snake is a good nap partner. It just coils up on his back or stomach and then if anybody tells him he needs to get up, he can say he can’t disturb the snake. It’s the perfect excuse. Leave him alone, can't you see the snake is asleep? It gets cranky if you wake it up. (Just like him.)

If your snake has a heat lamp, he’s going to sleep next to it all the time. It’s so warm and cozy. Belphie just wants to snuggle up next to your snake’s warm tank and snooze the day away. You'll probably find him in your room snoring away next to it on a regular basis.

masterlist | Thank you for reading!

[shuttershocky]

what on earth is a poop snake

Content warning this is super gross

One time on one of those previously mentioned school retreats, my friend and I walked past the bathroom (whose door had been left open) and I spied something that immediately had me shrieking "what the fuck is that?"

Inside the bathroom, on an open stall, was this huge thing peeking out of the toilet, rearing its head over the rim.

Now when you live inside the habitat range of the biggest venomous snake in the world, the King Cobra, you treat any snake you can't immediately identify as something you gotta warn people about immediately. I grabbed my friend and shook them in a panic, sure that there was a massive snake inside that toilet, and one of us would have to keep an eye on it so someone wouldn't open their pants to an incredibly deadly surprise.

But then my friend went "It's not moving" and that got me to look at it again too. I didn't expect it to lunge at us standing at the doorway from all the way across the room or anything, but surely a snake that had noticed intruders would at least try to move away right? It wouldn't just sit in a toilet with its head peeking out.

That made me realize maybe i'd mistaken someone sticking a large tree branch into a toilet for a snake or something, so I walked closer to take a look; at this point one of my classmates had already destroyed a toilet and another had broken a door knob, so this would probably have been another case of property damage.

And then the fucking smell hit me when I entered the bathroom and I realized what it was.

Some highschooler, through some unknown but unholy combination of technique and diet, had shat a veritable log into the toilet.

It was massive, both in length and in girth. The bottom went into the toilet's drain but it was so long and thick it could stand from the bottom of the toilet, get out of the water, and peek right over the rim, its sheer weight forcing gravity to dip its "head" lower and making it look something like a snake in the toilet if you saw it from outside the bathroom.

"What the fuck!" I screamed again, gripped by a completely different fear this time. What 17 year old could have done that? I had seen horse poo that looked puny next to that thing!

My friend was howling with laughter at my false snake alarm, but I was scarred for life. Years later I found myself in a haunted bathroom and it was still less scary than that (literal) shit.

Anyway my school got banned for life from that place, though if you ask me we should have also been asked to pay extra to the janitor who had to clean that mess up, because I doubt something of that size could have been dealt with by flushing alone.

[pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop]

Hoppip, Skiploom, & Jumpluff

Hoppip (#187)

Eoventus viriditas

Hoppips average at 1’4 feet (0.4 M) tall and weigh about 1.1 pounds (0.5 kg)

Habitat: Hoppips will live anywhere where the weather is above freezing for more than a week during the summer. They do not like the cold (makes sense), and thrive best in warmer climates. They can be found at the tops of mountains and in great plains and in human cities alike. Truly, they are immensely prolific.

Life Cycles: Hoppips are born to large batches of hundreds of eggs every Spring or Wet Season. These batches emerge with the first rains of Spring, and in places with wet/dry season cycles, they emerge with the first rains of the wet season. While they do not exhibit any significant parental care, newborns are immediately brought into the flock, and the beginnings of Spring are often marked by the giant flocks of Hoppips that float in the air. These Hoppip fluffs are vital biomass for the ecosystems that they migrate into, for many many different Pokémon eat them. They are eaten by birds, snakes, cats, dragons, dogs, giant spiders, literally anything that can catch it will eat it.

The mating cycle of Hoppips is simple: when they reach level 15, they are reproductively viable, and they will then spend the Fall mating with any number of individuals that express interest. There is very little hierarchy within the fluff, but there is a loose preference for the Skiplooms and Jumpluffs since they are inherently older, wiser, and stronger and thus theoretically make for better genetics to pass on. The eggs are laid in warm climates, such as Central America, where the fluff lingers for awhile waiting for the eggs to hatch, and then when they do, they move on with their Hoppip lives and continue their migrations.

Behavior: Hoppips are gentle creatures that enjoy equally gentle breezes. They live together amicably in large colonies (either called flocks, fluffs, or breezes!), a defense mechanism both against predators and against being blown away by strong winds. They will link leaves and grip the ground together to keep themselves from being carried off by the winds when they’re not ready. When they are ready to migrate, Hoppips can be carried vast distances on the winds.

Fluffs range in size anywhere from the several thousands to a handful.

Diet: Sunlight. Should this be unavailable, carbohydrate heavy foods like pasta, potatoes, rice, fruits, and bread will suffice in the meantime. Be sure to give your Hoppip plenty of water and a place to cool off when the sun is too hot for them!

Players, Hoppips do not need to eat unless they have been deprived of sunlight for more than 1 day. In which case, feed them a standard amount.

Conservation: Least Concern

Relationship with Humans: Hoppips are friendly little guys that have graced humans with their presence the world over. They make for amicable companions, excellent for children, and of course, they have definitely been eaten by humans for a very long time. They’re not easy to trap, per say, but they’re not difficult to hunt either. Their abundance and ease of catch makes them ideal prey for countless predators, including humans, though in the modern day Hoppips are typically left alone by people.

In media, Hoppips are often seen in nature documentaries, children’s books about Spring, and are often seen in more whimsical scenes in films. They are regularly depicted as gentle and amicable, and make for excellent children’s toys.

As partner Pokémon, Hoppips are common starter Pokémon. They are not the strongest or the fastest, but they are certainly very common.

Classification: The genus “Eoventus” is a combination of “Eo” (to travel, to go, to sail, etc.) and “ventus” (Wind) in latin. “Viriditas” means “greenness, vigor, freshness.”

(artwork by Ken Sugimori)

Skiploom (#188)

Eoventus florescus

General Information: Skiploom the Cottonweed Pokémon, and the evolution of Hoppip. Their flowers are known to be accurate determinants of the weather, for when it’s above 64 F (18 C) the flower blossoms, and when it’s below that, the blossom closes!

Skiplooms average at 2 feet (0.6 M) tall and weigh 2.2 pounds (1 kg).

Habitat: Skiplooms are pickier about their habitat needs than Hoppips are, mostly in the sense that they like sunnier places than Hoppips do.

Life Cycles: Skiplooms are less susceptible to predation than Hoppips, but this is mostly just because of age and greater survival instincts that come with it. Otherwise, their life cycles are the same, and Skiplooms typically live for 5-10 years.

Behavior: Skiplooms are not the biggest fans of getting wet, and will seek shelter under trees when it rains. They also do not care for the cold and will simply migrate away to warmer climates when the weather gets too cold. These migrations can even take a breeze of them across the ocean.

Diet: Sunlight. Same dietary needs as Hoppip.

Conservation: Least Concern

Relationship with Humans: Skiplooms are common pets in households the world over. Their docility, sociability, low dietary and habitat needs, and short life spans make them ideal pets for anyone looking for a low-maintenance pet. In contrast, their short lifespans is also what steers many trainers away from owning one, especially as a starter Pokémon, for the loss of your first Pokémon is a unique sort of heartache, and many want to be spared the pain until later in life.

In the fashion world, a Skiploom’s flower is often used for floral patterns.

There are Skiploom connoisseurs who claim to be able to decipher a Skiploom’s birthplace by the aroma of their flowers.  

Classification: The species epithet “florescus” is derived from “floresco,” Latin for “blossom” or “flower.”

Evolution: Skiploom evolves from Hoppip at level 18.

Jumpluff (#189)

Eoventus verocis

General Information: Jumpluff the Cottonweed Pokémon, and the final evolution of Hoppip.

Habitat: Wherever Hoppips and Skiplooms can be found. Jumpluffs are the best fliers of the family, able to control their migrations with dexterity and agility that Hoppip and Skiploom lack. Their flight prowess even allows them to float across the vast oceans, allowing them to lay their eggs across the globe.

Life Cycles: Jumpluffs, like all Pokémon, “lay” eggs. It is a myth, an old wive’s tale, that Jumpluff reproduce by spreading their spores, and the further belief that Jumpluff die when their spores are spent, is also simply untrue. While Jumpluff do not have long lives, 7-12 years on average (so basically the life span of a dog or cat), their lives are not forfeit because of the loss of their fluffy arms, but rather in the wild a Jumpluff who loses the fluff on its arms are no longer able to fly with control and become easy targets for predators. In captivity, an aging Jumpluff who loses its cotton-puff arms is capable of living several years longer and even a happy existence if the trainer is careful to tend to its needs.

Behavior: Jumpluffs are the ones who migrate the oceans, who travel to distant lands and spend the remainder of their lives sojourning the globe. They are just as amicable as their Hoppip and Skiploom counterparts, but wiser to the wiley ways of the world.

Diet: Identical to the needs of Hoppip and Skiploom.

Conservation: Least Concern

Relationship with Humans: Jumpluffs are often the symbol of travelers, of sojourners, of globetrotters, those who travel but do not linger. There are ancient cultures who believed Jumpluffs to be the messengers or eyes of gods, to be the guardians of travelers. Some believe that a Jumpluff is a sign of good fortune, that your passage has been marked safe.

In modern times, Jumpluffs are often on the teams of emergency rescuers because of their ability to travel great distances without growing tired. They may not be the fastest or the strongest, but their endurance for flight is unmatched by most, and is an assest to rescue organizations and Pokémon Rangers alike, who need a Jumpluff’s eyes to watch the world at large.

Classification: The species epithet “velocis” is derived from “velox” meaning agility, swiftness, dexterity in flight, etc., in homage to a Jumpluff’s advanced ability to navigate the winds that its pre-evolutions lack. The entire line was originally named by Linnaeus, who thought of them as quite charming creatures.

Evolution: Jumpluff evolves from Skiploom at level 27.

~~~~~~~~

Hey guess what, if you like my stuff, this is my website where you can find other Pokémon I've written on and more information about the game that I’m slowly making! Check it out! I write books sometimes too.

[specksizedgoddess]

Sorry for so many asks in a day but the ideas keep coming. I think this is the last one because I really should probably spend my time doing other things and not just being incredibly horny at one "person".

Cute normal size girl who invites you over to her apartment to hang out. Except when you do the entire thing reeks of sweat and cum and long-unwashed clothes, and there are used tissues on the floor and it's clear she only ever showers or puts on clean clothes right before going out which she only does every month or two.pretends not to notice how you're reacting to various offhand comments and questions she's trying to innocently sprinkle in as you talk. "Yeah I've just been getting into terrariums recently, I think it's just fascinating! You get to make a little self contained ecosystem and watch all these little tiny creatures live their little lives in a mini version of their natural habitat!" And "ooh, what's your diet look like? I bet tinies have different nutritional needs than people do." "Have you ever thought about where you'd be in a food chain in the wild lol" "do you have any other tiny friends you wouldn't mind living next to?" (Actually, *are* there any tiny blogs you really like? I need to know more of them) "how do you or the other tinies reproduce, if that's not an awkward question? Is it like asexual fission or something?". "Are you scared of snakes?" "Do you feel like many people would notice if you suddenly disappeared someday?" "Where do you live btw?" "Why have you been clearly rock hard under that skirt and cumming into it without even any stimulation several times and blushing and drooling slightly for like 3 hours?". "Would you fuck your clone?". "Have you ever thought about trying to have sex with a giant lol" "what's your favorite color?" You know, just normal girl talk! Casually passing the time!

And after like 5 hours of it becoming increasingly clear that she has every intent of kidnapping you and putting you in a little terrarium with a pet snake and a couple other small critters and watching you breed repeatedly and sometimes get eaten or attacked and use you as her personal porn or sometimes sex toy or anything else she'd get off on doing with you, like using you to wipe her ass, you manage to steal a recently "used" tissue before she takes you home. And you have to pretend you're normal and just fine about it as you sleep every night wearing her cum tissue as a blanket waiting until she snatches you up in the middle of the night.

Just a thought though lol I'm sure it's not that hot you probably wouldn't even like it very much. You're normal about this right Eve?

-🤝🐛

GDHHHFJHDHWHDHSHHDHWHDGEGE PFLJDJDD NORMAL NOTMAL NROAMAML

Moaning as I stare up at her... always good to talk to friends! And I would LOVE to answer all her questions- getting increasingly blushy and flustered with each answer, only getting more flustered as I watch her lean in... more and more interested... All my willpower spent on NOT begging to be her tiny plaything- her little giggles when she points down at my tented skirt, the underside already a mess as I stammer out excuses- her eyes full of lust and a desperation to own...

Desperately grinding against that used tissue, huffing it in a lustful frenzy, moaning her name alongside a variety of nicknames... making it more "used" as I imagine those eyes, those hands easily snatching me up... as I imagine all the little critters in my habitat, all so much better, stronger, and more important than I am... at the absolute bottom of her own little manufactured ecosystem...

I'll be her porn, I'll be her toy, I'll be her pet- I NEED to be hers 😵‍💫

[plaintoast]

☕️ pets

i have 2 cats and i love them to death even though they are absolute terrors. perpetual toddlers. cat supremacy always tho

dogs are neat! i don't really want the responsibility for one but i like visiting my parents dogs and my friends dogs. i do think a lot of dog owners need to remember that their dogs are pets tho and not human beings and thus do not need to be with you in every public space girl stop bringing your pet dog with you to the doctors office fr

i always wanted a rabbit but then i realized how much work they are so kudos to rabbit owners i didn't have it in me

reptiles/amphibians are dope af actually i love frogs and snakes and lizards and shit but i WOULD kill one on accident if i had one i'm sure of it. i know nothing about keeping a habitat in good condition

fish are cool looking but have never compelled me. live fish kind of gross me out sorry it's a texture thing and also i hate water so really not for me. i am so happy for people who tend with love to their aquariums tho

i don't really have feelings about other pets tho and if u want me to talk about horses that's a separate subject

[sunriseverse]

🔥 for reptiles? (Asking because you sometimes reblog herp posts and I'm kind of vibrating over the prospect of someone from my mutual circle liking them.)

ahhhh i don't know if i have any unpopular takes for reptiles? i love reptiles, but i've never had my own! i'd love to have a snake someday when i can take care of one, though! they're gorgeous animals and i would have so much fun maintaining a habitat for them and making sure that their environment was ideal and that they were content. i guess if i had to be pushed to an unpopular opinion, it's that the library in [NAME REDACTED TOWN] where my family has lived the past few years occasionally hosts a "reptile man" and i, even as someone who doesn't really.............know a ton about reptiles is very suspicious of this because this man is exposing a number of fairly sensitive animals to large numbers of the public, especially children, who have no idea how to properly interact with these animals, without giving any sort of directions on proper handling, which to me just feels negligent at best. (also a number of the animals he has he boasts about how dangerous they usually are but that he's defanged them so they don't pose a threat to the audience and i'm just like ???? then why are you keeping them because it's not like they're rehab animals that can't live in the wild, he brought them from the wild.) of course you're more knowledgeable about this than i, so if in your opinion this is all normal and humane i'm 100% willing to change my opinion but it's something that whenever this guy comes into the library to do a programme i'm like ':|

[whump-cravings]

ooh hello!! i love the little snippet you wrote to go along with the mermaid art you rb'd and i was wondering if you have any ideas for scenarios involving serpent-whumpees (i've seen this type of being go by different names, i think lamia is most common but not sure). and/or centaur-whumpees too. basically i like the idea of a supernatural creature whumpee with animal features but like one that naturally dwells on land like in the woods rather than needing a water habitat. ty have a nice day!!!

owo I love supernatural whump of any sort.

Centaurs, if they're anything like horses, are probably going to be more suited to grasslands where there's space to run and little rocky/rough ground.

Legs/feet are pretty prone to laming. A centaur going over uneven or rocky terrain could easily suffer from a misplaced hoof. (...especially if they’re blindfolded...) One generally has to put a horse down when they break a leg because horses are unlikely to sit still long enough for the break to heal, but a centaur wouldn’t have a problem with that (they just wouldn’t be able to go anywhere). (this is rife with opportunities for environmental whump hehe)

Speaking of hooves... Having their hooves shod, trimmed, or cleaned without permission would be pretty frustrating/humiliating (though not likely painful--only a very unskilled farrier might drive a nail into the wrong place instead of the keratin hoof, and idk about you but I do not want a horse holding a grudge against me, much less a centaur). Horses tend to enjoy having their hooves cleaned, so maybe centaurs do too?

The most efficient weapon a centaur can carry is a humanoid on their back. Being enslaved for combat purposes would be terrifying. Being ridden without permission would probably be aggravating at best. (Although I don’t know why you’d strap yourself to a 1-ton killing machine... instead of an additional kidnapee :3 )

Obviously: Branded like cattle/horses, other animalizing things related to horses like being used as beasts of burden, general dehumanization.

(Imagine being captured, branded, groomed from head to tail and hoof, shod, then forced out onto a battlefield :3)

They’d be very useful out in an orchard or something where they can harvest low-hanging fruit as well as carry lots of weight.

Maybe less obvious: centaurs in real-world mythology are rapists because they’re said to have the head of a man and instincts of a horse. This could be a regular perception of centaurs.

Stepping in a trap meant for animals

Having their flank mistaken for a deer?? (hunters can be stupid) and being shot

Being left behind somewhere because they’re unable to climb like humans/other species. Or being stuck in a pit until a friend can bring materials to lift them out.

Lamia / Nagas / snek people, if they're like snakes, are gonna be cold blooded. They'll most likely live in a warm environment with plenty of humidity and places to soak up the sun.

Snakes brumate, which is a reptilian equivalent of hibernation. They become very inactive (in an attempt to keep their body temperature from dropping too low) and lethargic. Before entering brumation, they’ll sense the temperature dropping and eat extra food to bulk up their body fat, then find a cozy nook to hide out until it gets warmer.

While brumating, trying to move is probably very difficult. Their body is slow and their mind is too. If they’re going hungry, they have to find somewhere warm or else any food they catch and eat won’t digest.

If they do eat something during this time, it will make them sick if they don’t purge it, as the food will sit in their belly and rot.

Some snakes live in warm enough climates that they never need to brumate. It’d be scary to experience it without having a clue what’s going on or why. 

Some snakes don’t brumate, which makes the cold even more dangerous. If a snake is already unhealthy or sick, sustained cold temperatures will worsen their condition.

Snakes tend to be asocial, but may come together for brumating. For intelligent species that follows that trend, it could be annoying if you’re now dealing with someone you don’t like because y’all are trying to keep warm. (Of course, snake people with hands will be able to build fires and curl up beside/around those for warmth.)

Being hunted for their scales / being hunted because they’re a “monster.”

Breaking one or more of their inner ribs (which snakes use to propel themselves) would hurt like hell

hope these help!!

[giulolosblackmail]

not sure i ever posted this here, but I managed to clean up and piece together the Helix Horiozon map, and lol it does not match up with hw at all

this is specifically a map of the Dustystar (Stardust) Continent, and you can see Vanssal (Finsel) is indeed on the water, though the territory under their control is much larger than in the HW map

However, this HW map was released before the game and may not be particularly accurate, ie. the Woods of Sura (Sulla Forest) are not shown on this map while it borders Finsel directly on the HH map and has been alluded to bordering Finsel in HW main story

In both maps the Republic of Le'York (Rayorca) is to the south of Finsel, though in the HW map they are separated by a mountain range and in the HH map it is instead Lionheart that is cut off from Finsel by a mountain range

The Living Water Islands do not show up on the HW map, but the introduction mentions the Running Water Isles to the west of the Stardust Continent is the habitat of Nagas, a race of snake people

It looks like the Land of Magvil is supposed to be the Demon Realm, though it's really far north for how hot the place is supposed to be

I'm not seeing anything on either map about the north end, a rarely mentioned far nothern continent in HW that gets some mention in the notes of cold weather fashions, but it may be near the HH Icicle Ocean

there's a few more names on the HH map i don't recognize, there's no talk of eastern countries (except maybe bello in the mandaria illusion), I don't recognize U'Mag or Semieyake, and none of the mountain ranges or rivers have been named in game

[shoot-of-corruption]

"From the looks of it you are either an honest fighter, or you aren't looking for a fight."

She watched as the shadow serpent guided his steps, acting as his eyes much in the way she’d witnessed canines assisting mortals that could not see.

"You could have approached me outside as well, all I wanted to do was keeping Ryo out of this, so he wouldn't have another thing to worry about."

She tilted her head in the opposite direction, observing with intense curiosity and confusion. Something was not right.

Her eyes allowed her to see the souls of others, which was what prompted her curiosity of the Dark One in the first place. He didn’t possess a soul…he was one. It was as though someone had ripped out a portion of themselves and cast it into this place. The edges were rough and frayed, messily lashing out like tendrils into the darkness in an attempt to mend itself.

She glanced around. The Dark One…no…Mariku…didn’t belong here. This place simply sustained him…keeping him alive. It was one thing if he called this place his of his own volition…but to be chained to it? The very thought of a soul being bound in any way to this place filled her with anger.

"So... what leads you to Domino. From the looks of it we are both creatures that don't call the human realm our natural habitat."

She buried her emotion. While this place was detrimental to the soul before her, right now he benefited from its macabre healing effect.

“Short version: I have a debt to repay,” she stated nonchalantly. “You wouldn’t happen to know where I can find one-hundred souls that are beyond redemption…or one soul that has been shattered beyond recognition by a dark god and left to rot in a cursed relic for a few millennia?”

She sheepishly shrunk in embarrassment. “Preferably not the latter. That’s the whole reason I’ve been banished from the Duat. Ammit didn’t like that I stole the Thief King’s remaining fragment from her.”

Mariku, who had finally located the person and folded his arms, not closing in on her in the darkness, not feeling as much threatened now as curious, seemed to frown upon the question and then a sense of bafflement slipped into him, clearly visible on his face.

He was unable to gain insight on her feelings and emotions. ... that was new to him. He had to admit he never interacted much with otherworldly beings but had thought the emotions translated to him like human feelings would.

Apparently the shadows held no power within this one and after a few moments of listening he probably got an answer why. This one originated from the Duat, practically the underworld. A place where the dead could dwell alongside some of the gods - a few of them only there to judge the souls of the formerly living.

A shudder ran through him for a moment. "Thief.... I see. I think I know the one you are searching for... sadly... I cannot point you toward him, since I myself don't know where he'd dwell..." Also he was unaware of why she would search for that many souls, especially beyond redemption...

His eyes widened upon the dark god part, though and then narrowed into slits. "I'd very much encourage you not to bloat out your questions about such.... gods... in this realm, you never know which ears are listening in... nothing in this realm is sacred... and nobody would let a saucy piece of information go, if it brought them a step up in the hierarchy... there are monsters here that you can't imagine in your wildest dreams and nightmares."

He very much closed in on her now, slowly and still with folded arms, the snake trailing alongside him, docile and close, as if it was just a protection mechanism, like something to hold close to brave through the endlessness of the night.

"We should leave. I'm not sure who will have the higher ground in our conversation in the human realm... but in here none of us will hold it, that much I can assure you of."

His eyes trailed over the surroundings like the ones of a hawk and then he reached a hand out towards her. "I know a secret sanctuary where we will be unbothered."

[firstginger]

Hi there! I’m not sure if you’re still into daemon stuff or if you still make suggestions, so feel free to ignore this if not lol. I was wondering, what forms do you think would suit a blunt and stubborn INTP person who is stoic and quiet until excited, then enthusiastic and chatty?

what a great description!

i was thinking about forms that really emphasize the Ne aspect of the INTP; i usually see forms like reclusive wildcats, small birds of prey, and snakes suggested, which fit the most stereotypical INTP enneagram 5 persona, but probably less so you. i have a few suggestions, so let's jump in!

galidiinae my top suggestion is galidiinae, comprised of vontsira and non-true mongooses. i thought they could be fitting for the INTP, as these species typically live in pairs or small groups, are independent and tenacious hunters, and are territorial over their restricted habitat — though they're also notoriously playful and excitable little animals. i wouldn't describe them as aggressive or assertive, but their territorial nature would definitely check the blunt category; they have extensive vocalizations that they use to communicate about boundaries, disagreements, group get-togethers, and even excitement about successful foraging. the ring-tailed mongoose i think is a good candidate, particularly if you're someone who likes to be busy and adventurous in your comfort zone. the giant-striped mongoose is more cooperative, open-minded, and loyal, while the broad-striped mongoose is going to be more introverted, guarded, and determined.

rodents i kept circling back to more independent rodents for you, because i think they can be both defensive as well as energetic and excitable. my first thought was actually the north american porcupine. they're introverted and certainly have the blunt and stoic part down; when threatened, they will bristle their quills, clack their teeth, and release a rotten odor. compared to the vontsira/mongooses, this form is going to fit someone who's more introverted and independent, protective and territorial, and unambitious. however when north american porcupines are brought together in captivity, they're actually pretty socially tolerant and like to playfully wrestle with each other. they're a really vocal species though so either way i'd expect this individual to be unafraid of speaking up whether their feelings are positive or negative!

porcupines aside, i was also thinking about woodrats (packrats), tree voles, and the armored rat. woodrats i think particularly are fitting since they're notoriously excitable, noisy, and boisterous — hence the reputation of a packrat! they're also solitary and relatively territorial, typically not instigators (they tend to space out their territories) but very willing to defend their territories through aggression, foot thumping, and scent marking. the white-throated woodrat is going to be pretty similar to this but just to toss a few others out there, the bushy-tailed woodrat is going to be more active, defensive, and status-seeking, while the desert woodrat is more private, avoidant, and prepared. the key largo woodrat i just thought was super cool because they build massive wooden nests that they pass through generations.

the red tree vole was my chief suggestion for tree voles, they're relatively introverted and like their comfort zone; they tend to avoid attention and confrontation, though they can get easily stressed and wound up when forced outside the familiar. if they're a little too passive for you, the closely-related heather vole is more blunt and boundary-keeping, though good at reading the situation and not biting off more than they can chew. tree voles might not be as enthusiastic as you are, but as they tend to be very precise and dutiful in their behavior, they could be seen as particularly into their passions. and finally the armored rat is introverted and inventive, naturals at planning ahead and quite particular. they have some fun behaviors that i thought might feed into your chatty side; they're particularly excitable when worked up, known for making a "whee-unk!" noise and springing into the air. they're also going to be more active and ambitious than the vole and porcupine, more similar to the woodrat.

other this form might be a little bold, but you might also consider the tasmanian devil, as it really embodies the blunt and stubborn persona while also being someone who's expressive and energetic. the biggest caveat is that the tasmanian devil is really drenched in confidence; they're a self-assured introvert, not someone who's compelled by social anxiety or conflict avoidance. i think this would be a great form to look into if you're someone who's socially open but gets irritable when drained and needs their alone time, hardy and ambitious and doesn't like to be controlled, obsessive and excitable over their interests, and are happily opinionated and proud of their beliefs. they might be more INTJ but i figured i'd throw it out there because they're one of my favorite animals and i haven't gotten to suggest them yet! the wolverine also would be in this vein: rather independent but loosely loyal to their loved ones, straightforward and blunt due to their confidence, tenacious and ambitious, though also playful and capable of being roughly mischievous.

hope this helps! :)

[talesfromthetraproom]

The Stage Techs Play Electrician for a Day, and Encounter the Wall That Eats All Things

Setting:

Concert Hall. 12 noon (the trouble apparently began before this, but I came in at 12 because my morning involved falling asleep in a computer science lecture and getting my toilet fixed).

Cast:

The student crew (Me)

The union crew (Grumpy, Twin, and Loud)

The supervisors (PM, LX, and Video)

Today's Tale Brought to You By:

A Highly Suspicious Amount of Silence

An Overengineered Game of Snakes and Ladders

The Prospect of Spiders

Really Bad Building Design (and No One is Surprised)

The object of the game: take these ethernet cables, and run them from one side of the audience to the other through the wall that separates the grand tier from the orchestra. Shouldn't be too difficult, right? Right? Wrong. When I arrived on the scene, Video, Loud, and Twin were already mostly defeated and staring at the wall like they might suddenly develop XRay vision.

Several Hours and a Multitude of Plan Bs later, we have the following collection of highlights (in no particular order):

Twin: "Quit telling me about the habitat preferences of venomous spiders when I have my hand shoved halfway up an electrical box!" Me: "I thought the warning both timely and necessary, excuuse me"

LX: [Shop Teacher], you have to understand that University students are complete idiots. Not you though, Wynn. Me (flipping him off over my shoulder): You still wouldn't trust me with a welder, to be fair. Shop Teacher: I would! LX: You shouldn't. She frequently threatens to murder people.

Video: "While I truly appreciate that PM found our missing conduits, is no one going to point out that he also ripped the entire cable box out of the wall? No? Just me? Is anyone thinking about how the cable box is gong back into the wall? No? Just me?"

Loud: "I suddenly feel the need to point out that I told you I could rip this box apart. At absolutely no point did I tell you that I could put it back together and I am in no way liable for what PM decides to do with that information."

Video: "Hey LX. Can we cut one of your network cables and use it as a guide wire?" LX: "That would be an incredibly expensive mistake." Video: "On the contrary I'm willing to bet it's about the least expensive mistake we've made today."

PM: "What's going on out here? Wynn said my presence was requested, and I believe she used the word 'shitshow' so it's gotta be serious." Loud: "Yeah. How mad would you be if we cut a slightly larger hole in this wall?"

LX: "Wynn, go turn off the footlights before PM blinds himself. They're the switch backstage that is labelled 'DO NOT TURN OFF'. Don't give me that look."

PM: "Hey Wynn you have little hands, come feel around behind this box and see if you can find the conduit." LX: "What, so we can now have two cables, a broken pull line, the retrieving snake, and Wynn's arm stuck in the wall???" PM (ignoring him): "Out of curiosity, when was your last tetanus shot?"

LX: "Oh Grumpy? Watch out for the fire alarm sensors up there, an evacuation is the last thing we need today. They're white and look like laser emitte-" *BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.* LX: "....yeah. Those ones." There are certain perks to being located directly across the street from the University Emergency Services building.

In the end and thanks to dumb luck, we did get the cable run all the way through the wall and out the other side. The concert hall, rather than being recording-ready for tomorrow, rather looks like a tornado went through the grand tier. LX got absolutely nothing done that he needed to do today. Half of the face plate screws went missing in the chaos. But I got away with only a few scrapes on my arms, and nobody encountered venomous spiders (though I'm not sure Twin will ever forgive me for that one). I think we all learned a few lessons, and gained a new level of respect for our fellow tradesmen.

[saffron-gold-starlight]

Best Tips For Keeping Pet Reptiles

Reptiles, in essence, aren't pets that require a lot of maintenance. Reptiles have complex needs and require plenty of attention for a pleasant and healthy life. But, having a genuine positive and fulfilling relationship with your pet will be worth your time If you're willing to dedicate yourself to the relationship.

Make sure to check-in with yourself

It is important to educate you with some of the (subjectively naturally) less favourable elements in reptile ownership. Do you find it difficult to feed your pet live rodents or insects? The shedding of skin can be a problem for you. Some pet owners do not realize that until they're dragging an animal over their tank. It's not our intention to scare you, but getting yourself ready for the daily routine care for reptiles is crucial for you and your pet's comfort and well-being. Check out this site to find out breaking news about reptiles, amphibians, and aquatic beings.

Which Reptile Is Right For You?

You may already be a particular animal in your mind. Everybody knows somebody who was obsessed with snakes when they were young. You may be at a point of knowing that you'd like to have a pet reptile however you're not certain which. They need less attention and can be more social.

Checking Boxes

When you've decided on the perfect scaly friend Do some digging for answers to some questions about logistics. Gather information like: What is their lifespan? How big could they become? Are the family you share with yours perfect match? Find out more below regarding specific needs.

Lighting

For a healthy, happy and well-being, cold-blooded lizards need UV light. Similar to what the sun would provide. The purchase of a lamp equipped with UVB bulbs is a requirement. Remember to change your bulbs each year. The UV quality diminishes gradually and will become ineffective, even if the lamp seems to still be producing optimum lighting. Beware of placing cages near direct sunlight, as this can make them too hot.

Temperature and Humidity

Most reptiles are not able to maintain and regulate the same internal temperature. So, it is incumbent on the pet's owner to create an environment that is suitable for heat and humidity. It is possible to enhance your pets' environment with heating lamps if necessary. In terms of humidity levels, it's a bit of a "just right" situation. Too dry or humid can cause illnesses for your pet. If you're concerned about the health of your pet or its performance, talk to a vet.

Food and Nutrition

Though pellets are easier to handle as the pet's caretaker living food is more suitable for reptiles. Diet will obviously depend on the kind of reptile you decide on The typical diet consists of some combination of mealworms and roaches crickets, rodents, and fresh vegetables and fruits. A calcium powder is recommended as a supplement to your pet's diet, and is added to their mealtimes. Look into your chosen pet and what is required specifically.

Housekeeping

Make sure that your pet’s enclosure is stocked with all of the necessary equipment. Screen locks or buckles can help prevent surprises. Reptiles have a reputation for escaping, which is why locks, clips or buckle is recommended. Keep your pet's habitat clean with regular maintenance and disinfection, as a cage full of salmonella-containing feces can harm you and your family. The environment that is dirty can cause skin infections in reptiles. You should also know your reptile's maximum size. You don't want to be living with your pet within a cage that is too small after sudden growth or constant replacement could be detrimental for them and to your wallet.